In recent years, the capability for users to participate in video calling has become more prevalent, even in the context of mobile communication using portable devices. Mobile devices have become available that offer the capability for one user to establish a calling session with another user in which video is exchanged between the users. Mobile communication networks that typically handle voice calls are becoming capable of handling not only voice calls but also video calls. Currently, mobile network operators (i.e., cellular carriers) rely on third party applications to extend a voice call to a video call. In addition, some video calling systems require that the devices be compatible with one another. In other words, the mobile communication devices attempting to participate in the video call over the cellular network must be produced by the same manufacturer.
In order for these devices to perform the video calling over the cellular network, the mobile network operator may bifurcate the call into a data stream containing the video content and a voice stream that carries the voice signals. Since users are conscious of the cost of data transmissions via the cellular network, the cost of video calling may be prohibitive for some users. However, cellular carriers are increasingly moving toward a network implementation, such as 4 G Long Term Evolution, that transmits all information (voice or data) as packetized data over a network. As a result, third party applications may no longer be needed to provide video calling services to a cellular carrier subscriber device.
Hence, a need exists for a video calling feature that uses a mobile network operator's cellular communication network and that allows different types of mobile devices to communicate with one another through a common user interface, one that does not need downloading of a particular application from an application store for all users on a video call. In addition, use of the video calling feature should involve a minimal number of user inputs for a user to establish, participate in, and disconnect from a video call.